Chapter 1: Fusion with the Homelanders

Year: 1962.

At a secret CIA base.

"Look, it's those freaks!"

"They eat the same food as us!"

"How did they become freaks?"

"No idea, maybe you could ask them yourself?"

...

In the cafeteria, people passing by or sitting in various corners couldn't help but glance at the young group in the northeast corner. They pointed, whispered, and discussed them openly, as if watching clowns at a circus.

"I've had enough of these idiots!" 

A blond-haired boy slammed the table, glaring angrily at the surrounding onlookers as he cursed in a low voice.

"Sean, you should be used to it by now," said a black-haired girl sitting across from him, her arms adorned with wing-shaped tattoos. She seemed much more composed.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," Sean shrugged, then turned to a blonde girl sitting beside him. "Raven, maybe you could talk to Charles. Have him tweak these idiots' memories, so we don't have to be stared at like zoo animals every day."

Raven smiled at an boy sitting next to her. "Or, maybe we should just have Alex throw them all out, one by one. Right, Alex?"

Despite his scholarly look—almost like a top student—everyone at the table knew what kind of power Alex had. He could easily lift a car with one hand! Throwing out some hundred-pound men wouldn't be much harder than tossing out garbage.

"Alex?"

But Alex didn't respond. He seemed lost in thought, so Raven nudged his arm to get his attention.

Alex? Hearing that name brought the boy back to reality. For a moment, he was startled. He had almost forgotten—this was his name in this world.

That's right.

Alex wasn't originally from this world. He was a guy from a different world.

In his previous life, Alex had lived a decent life. After graduating from college, he landed a job at a mid-level company. Through hard work, and a bit of luck, he'd climbed to a middle management position in three years, not rich, but better off than most. The only downside was that he'd been so focused on work that, at 28, he was still single.

But who would've thought that, on the way to a blind date, a sudden downpour would strike, and lightning would crash down from the sky—striking him! When Alex opened his eyes again, he found himself in another world, in someone else's body.

At first, Alex was understandably panicked. This world had mutants, Captain America, and even Howard Stark! Sure, Captain America was no longer alive, but he remained a national hero and global icon.

In short, this was a world filled with cosmic entities, dimensional demons, and crazed aliens. Cities could be wiped out, and Earth itself constantly teetered on the brink of destruction!

For an ordinary person, life in this world was dangerous. One could become collateral damage without even knowing what hit them—especially for those living in New York.

Fortunately, like many other transmigrators, Alex had a special gift. He had a system upon arriving.

---

[Host: Alex]

Age: 16

Speed: 53 meters/second

Strength: 7.2 tons

Constitution: 124 (average for a healthy adult male: 10)

Mental Strength: 82 (average for a healthy adult male: 10)

Current Template: Homelander (Unlock Progress: 1%)

Abilities: X-ray vision (basic), Super hearing (basic), Flight (locked), Heat vision (locked)

Origin Points: 0

---

With a thought, Alex could summon this interface, visible only to him.

Honestly, Alex wasn't quite sure what kind of system this was, as it didn't have a name. However, its function was clear: it allowed Alex to gain the abilities of a Homelander. When he first arrived in this world, he received a beginner's gift package: a 1% progress boost.

That seemingly small 1% gave Alex powers far beyond any ordinary human. His strength, speed, constitution, and mental abilities were already off the charts. Sure, these might not be much in the chaotic future to come, but for now, this was before the first big battle of the X-Men.

Mutants hadn't yet been exposed to the world, and most people were unaware they even existed. Many thought rumors of mutants were nothing more than jokes. Even prominent figures like Magneto and other mutants believed they were the only ones of their kind.

This is why the ordinary CIA agents in the cafeteria treated these mutants as clowns, not with fear, hatred, or rejection.

As Sean said, they were more like animals on display.

So why was Alex at the CIA base?

Because Charles, the future Professor X, had partnered with the CIA to combat the villain Sebastian Shaw. Charles had decided to form a team of mutant operatives, and Alex, along with future teammates like Banshee, Angel, Darwin, and Havok, had been brought to this secret base as candidates.

"Alex? What are you thinking about?" Raven's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Alex brushed off the distractions in his mind and casually responded, "Nothing. Just some ignorant fools not worth worrying about."

"Ignorant fools?" Raven blinked in confusion. "Alex, what does that mean?"

The others around the table looked at him curiously, not understanding the phrase.

Alex thought to himself before explaining, "It's a saying about a frog living at the bottom of a well. The frog thinks the sky is only as big as the well opening because it has never seen the world beyond."

"Oh, I get it! You're calling them frogs!" The tattooed girl suddenly understood.

Alex sighed internally. *It's supposed to be a metaphor, not a direct insult.*

"How poetic!" A voice suddenly chimed in.

Everyone at the table instinctively paused their meal, turning to see Erik—Magneto—had arrived.

While not an official CIA liaison like Charles, Erik's strength was undeniable, and he, along with Charles, handled most of the mutant affairs. Although Erik had only been at the base a few months longer than the others, everyone treated him like a senior.

And rightfully so—he was significantly older than them.